1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to boards used in construction. More specifically, boards made from a composite material and having integral electrical wiring.
2. Background & Description of the Related Art
Wooden boards, or lumber, are one of the most popular and cost effective building materials currently available for the construction of buildings or other structures and are particularly well adapted for use as decking material. Wooden boards come in various shapes and sizes and they can be fastened together as necessary during the construction process to form a structure. Wooden boards are popular because they can be cut to any shape or length desired and they can be fastened together using many different types of fasteners (e.g., nails, screws, bolts, etc.). Also, wooden boards are sufficiently strong to support the relatively heavy loads encountered when building a structure.
Using boards made out of wood does, however, have a number of drawbacks. First, environmental conditions such as moisture and temperature can have a significant impact on the physical integrity of the board. Because wood is an organic substance, it may decay or rot when temperature and humidity are such that fungi within the wood are allowed to propagate. Second, because wooden boards are cut from trees, the boards contain physical imperfections (e.g., knots, voids, etc.) that were present in the tree. These imperfections can result in boards being inconsistent in terms of strength and aesthetics. Boards of reduced strength can pose a threat to the structural integrity of a structure in which the boards are installed. A final drawback of using wooden boards is that wood is prone to fading and cracking over time, which could detract from the aesthetic appeal of the built structure.
Because of these drawbacks, manufacturers have started producing boards fashioned from composite material such as wood plastic composite (WPC) and fiber reinforced polymer or resin (occasionally referred to as FRP or fiberglass). WPC boards generally comprise wood fibers bonded with a thermoplastic and inorganic filler material. The result is a board that has some of the physical and aesthetic qualities of wood but better durability and consistency due to the thermoplastic and filler material. Fiberglass boards, on the other hand, typically have no wood fibers and consist of non-organic reinforcing fibers bonded by a thermoset resin. Fiberglass boards can be made using a pultrusion process which involves pulling reinforcing fibers or matting through a vat of resin and then through a heated die where the resin cures or sets and encases the fibers.
Because much or all of the material in a composite board is not organic, the boards are less likely to deteriorate than a board made entirely of wood. Also, composite boards have more consistent structural properties and strength because the boards are fabricated in a controlled setting such as a manufacturing facility rather than simply cut from trees. Many of the manufacturers selling composite board products market them specifically for outdoor walkways and decks. Companies that manufacture WPC decking include Trex Company (www.trex.com) and ChoiceDek (www.choicedek.com). Manufacturers of fiberglass decking include Strongwell (www.strongwell.com) and McNichols (www.mcnichols.com).
A problem with the boards or decking used today, whether made of wood or composite material, is that they do not allow for easy installation of lighting or other electrically powered devices in the structure being built. To install an electrical system, generally a contractor must first build the structure and then tediously run and attach electrical wiring to the structure such that the wiring is concealed within or behind the structure. This can result in significant time and expense on top of the basic construction of the structure. What is needed in the industry is a composite board, with the durability benefits mentioned above, that has a means for easily installing an electrical system without the added step of installing a significant amount of electrical wiring.